Suitcase



flay L 1928.

F. DE LUCA SUITCASE Original Filed Nov. 5. 1926 gwuewto c Frank 1191mm.

Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK DE LUCA, OF FORT OGDEN, FLORIDA.

SUITCASE.

' Application filed November s, 1926, Serial No. 146,469. Renewed December 1, 1927.

Thisinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in suit cases, and the primary object of the invention is to prov1 adapted to be conveniently carried in the hand by a person when traveling, or to be hung upon a wall or otherwise suitably suspended when the traveler reaches a destination, means being provided for hanging a plurality of suits in (the body-of the suit case for ready access when the suit case is opened and so suspended.

A more specific object is to provide a suit case of the above kind which is extremelysimple and durable in construction as well as efficient in use, and wherein simple and improved means is provided for retaining the plurality of suits of clothes in flat neatly within the body of the suit case so as to be capable of: ready removal.

Another object is to provide a suit case of the above kind wherein means is provided for retaining a pair ofshoes or other small articles in portlons of the suit case body not occupied by the suits of clothes suspended and contained therein.

Still another specific objectof the invention is to provide improved means for facilitatingcarrying of t e suit case or its suspension from a wall or the like.

1 ing toward the le one ,end of the handle 5-5 of Figure 1.

Further objects will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more full described shown in the accompanying rawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a suit case placed on end and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a to plan view thereof look- .of Figure 1, and with detachably engaged with the top-of the suit case body;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the suit case in open' position and suspended from one end; 1

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionaLg detail view taken substantially upon line 4 -4: of Figure 1; .and

Figure 5 is a similar view takenupon hne de an article of baggage of this kind clothes within the b0 y In' accordance with the present invention the side wall of the body section 5 1s r0- vided centrally of one end portion wit a laterally and inwardly projecting rod 10 of a length to extend substantially the full depth of the body section 5 so that a plu-- rality of coat hangers or combined coat and trouser hangers 11 may be suspended from the rod 10, one behind the other, for the orderly hanging of a luralit of suits'of of t e suit case. The rod 10 may be rigldly fastened to the side wall of the suit case body in any suitable manner, and in order to retain the suits of clothes in fiat condition so as not to bunch at the bottom of the suit case when the latter is closed and carried in the hand with the top thereof uppermost, I provide a plurality of transverse clothes retaining Bogs 12 at the open side of the suit case 0 r The rods 12 are removably retained in place, and for this purpose, the inner side of the bottom wall of the suit case body section 5 is provided with a plurality of sockets 13 for removable reception of the adjacent ends of rods 12, while the to wall of the body section 5 is provided with an opening 14 in line with each socket 13 in which the-other end ofthe adjacent rod is supported. The rods 12 are freely slidable vlongitudinally throu h the openings 14 so that the rods 12 may e readily inserted and removed when the suit case cover section, 6 is open. However, as the openin s 14 are providedjnear the open side of the ody section 5, the top wall of the cover sect1on 6 will overlie the endsof the rods 12 when the cover section is closed, for removably retaining the rods 12 in place. This eonstruction is clearly made ap arent in Flgures 4 and 5, and it is there ore clear that when the suit case is suspended from one end as shown in Figure 3 w1th the cover section 6 opened, the rods 12 may be readily removed bysliding the same longitudinal y out of the sockof the body section 5 cm 13 and openings 14. When this is done the suits of clothes suspended on the hangers 11 from the rod 10 may be readily selectively removed or replaced.

When a plurality of suits of clothes are suspended in the body section 5 as described above, it is apparent that the corner portions at opposite sides of the rod 10 and. hangers 11 are vacant, and in order to permit use of these corner portions for the carrying of small articles, such as a pair of shoes or the like, I provide a pair of angular partitions 15 so as to define corner compartments 16 in the body section 5. Ordinarily, each compartment 16 will be of a size to conveniently receive one of a pair of shoes, and the shoes will be retained in the compartment by the cover section 6, when the latter is closed.

In order to provide for conveniently suspending the suit case from a wall or the like so that ready access may be had to the shoes and suits of clothes when the suit case is opened, and with the compartment 16 and rod 10 uppermost as shown in Figure 3, a handle 17 is provided having end loops 18 for detachable engagement with hinged books 19 suitably attached to the outer side of the end wall of body section the compartments 16. As shown, the hooks 19 are attached in properly spaced relation,

' and a similar pair of spaced books 20 are applied to the top wall of body section 5 so that the handle 17 may be detached from the end hooks 19 and engaged with the top hooks 20 when it is desired to,use the bandle 17 for carrying the suit case.

In using the present invention, the suit case is placed on end, and if desired, suitably suspended as shown in Figure 3, with the cover section 6 open. A suit is placed upon each of a plurality of hangers 11, and then these hangers are placed one behind the other with the suits correspondingly arranged within the body section 5, all of the hen ers being engaged with so as to be susedfrom the rod'10. The rods 12 are then inserted throughthe openings 14 until their inner ends engage in the sockets 13, whereupon the rods 12 will be retained in place when the cover section 6 is closed and locked b the locking means 8; Of course,

pen

a pair 0 shoes or the like may be separately retained in thecompartments 16, or other small articles may be placed in said compartments prior to closing the cover section s, if desired.

. of the 5 adjacent ing rods extending If it is now desired to carry the suit case, the handle 17 is disengaged from the hooks 19 and then engaged with hooks 20 as indicated in Figure 1. Upon fastening the straps 9 the suit case may then be transported from one place to another in a convenient manner with the several suits maintained in an orderly and flat condition in the suit case body section 5. Upon reaching the destination, the user may suspend the suit case in open position by transferring the handle to engagement with the hooks 19 as illustrated in Figure 3, so that when the cover section 6 is open and the rods 12 removed, any desired hanger and suit carried thereby may be conveniently removed from the suit case.

From the foregoing'description it is believed that the construction and manner of use as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. I

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed, such as varying the size suit case to accommodate any number of suits desired, as well as shoes, while the case may also be proportioned to carry ladies apparel. p

What I claim as new is :r-

1. A suit case comprising hingedly connected body and cover sections, suit retaining rods engaged with the body section to extend transversely of suits of clothes for maintaining them in flat condition when the cover section is closed and the suit case is carried, said retaining rods being slidable through the top wall of the body section to and from operative position, sockets on the bottom wall of the body section to receive the inner ends of the rods when operatively disposed and a rim on the cover section adapted to overlie the upper ends of the rods for retaining them in'place when the cover sectionis closed.

2. A suit case comprising hingedly connected body and cover sections, suit retain- J transversely of the body section and slidably associated therewith and a projecting rim on the cover section to overlie corresponding ends of the rods when the cover section is closed to hold the rods in operative position.

I In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature.

FRANK DE LUCA. 

